


Five Hours in an Elevator

by never_love_a_wild_thing



Series: Thiam Half Birthday 2018 [5]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, M/M, Neighbors, Strangers to Lovers, Tattoo Artist Theo, Trapped In Elevator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 12:04:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15000509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/never_love_a_wild_thing/pseuds/never_love_a_wild_thing
Summary: Liam gets stuck in an elevator with a cute stranger. Five hours in an elevator with Theo Raeken really isn't as bad as it sounds.For Thiam Half Birthday Day 5: Stranger Danger





	Five Hours in an Elevator

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just going to go ahead and say that the timing in this fic is kind of weird, but (as usual) I had to make the canon reference, so here it is!
> 
> Enjoy!

Liam was already late for work when he stepped into the elevator. He was hurriedly texting his boss to inform him that he would try to make it on time, but if he was being honest, he probably wouldn’t even be halfway there by the time he was supposed to be in the meeting.

Only one other person was in the elevator, a guy, probably around his age and most likely someone’s boyfriend judging by how hot he was, looking bored and tired, as most people did in the morning. Liam double checked the button for the ground floor, which was illuminated, and resigned himself to calling Mason.

“Dude,” he said, as soon as Mason answered, “I am running so late.” The guy on the other side of the elevator rolled his eyes and pulled out his own phone.

“I know,” Mason informed him, “I thought you were going to get here early so we could go over the schedule.”

“I know, I know, but clearly that’s not going to happen, so do you think you could run interference until I get there?” he practically begged, “I told Scott I would be there in like five minutes.”

“Uh- _huh_ ,” Mason said, sounding unconvinced. The guy on the other side of the elevator snorted, fingers flying across his phone as he typed. “And how long is it _actually_ going to take you?”

“I just got in the elevator,” he admitted.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Mason sighed, “But you owe me big time.”

“I will, yes! Whatever you want, I can – “ the elevator shuddered to a stop. “Uh…” he looked around at the other guy. “Why did it stop?”

“I don’t know,” he said, sounding annoyed, “Why are you asking me?”

“I don’t know,” Liam snapped back and turned back to the buttons, pressing the one for ground level again.

The other guy snorted. “I don’t see you doing anything to help,” he snapped at him.

“Liam?” Mason asked in his ear.

“The elevator stopped,” he explained, “How do I make an elevator start moving again?”

“Did you try pushing the ground floor button?” Mason asked reasonably.

“Yes!” Liam cried, shooting the other guy a superior look, even though he couldn’t hear Mason’s half of the conversation. He raised his eyebrows in a surprisingly sarcastic silent response.

“Uh. I don’t know, then. Is there an emergency button?” Mason asked. Liam could hear him clicking around on his computer, looking for a solution.

“An emergency brake, but – “ the background noise cut out. “Mason?” No reply. He looked at his phone. It wouldn’t turn on. _Shit_ , he had forgotten to charge it this morning.

“You’re a mess,” the other guy commented, far too relaxed for being stuck in an elevator.

“Shut up,” Liam told him, shoving his phone back into his pocket and banging his head against the wall. The elevator shook slightly.

“That’s really helping us, thanks,” the guy said, swiping through his phone.

“Yeah, well maybe you could do something _useful_ for once, like call someone, since you’re so prepared,” Liam seethed.

Hot guy rolled his eyes, already holding his phone up to his ear. “What do you think I’m doing?” he asked. “Hey, Greenberg? This is Theo Raeken from apartment 52. I’m in the elevator and it just stopped moving, so if you could call me back or get someone to come help, that would be great. I think we’re between floors 2 and 3.”

“He’s not answering?” Liam asked, suddenly worried as the hot guy – Theo Raeken, dialed the building super’s number again.

“What do you think?” he snarled, as it rang through to voice mail.

Liam inspected the button panel as Theo continued to try to reach Greenberg. It seemed straight forwards, but he still couldn’t find an answer. To be fair, it was a pretty old elevator. Really the best advice they had was the sticker that said, “In case of emergency, take stairs”, which would have been a great idea before he took the elevator, but was an entirely useless suggestion at this point.

“Greenberg, it’s Theo again – “

“Why don’t you just call 911?” Liam demanded.

Theo Raeken paused, looking at him with a surprised expression on his face, like he hadn’t even thought of that.

“Are you serious?” Liam asked, “Did you really not think of that?”

“Well I would have – “

“No, give it here – “

“I’m not _giving_ you my phone,” Theo replied, holding the device high overhead, just as the voicemail announced that he was out of time for his message.

“Then call 911!” Liam demanded.

“I will! Just – move!” Liam backed up and Theo looked down at his phone again.  Then he looked back up at Liam.

“Um…”

“What?” Liam asked. Theo was silent. “Oh my god, _what_?”

“My phone died.”

Liam stared at him, feeling anger and amusement and frustration, not sure which feeling to let take over. “You’re a mess,” he informed Theo finally.

For a split second, Liam was convinced that he was about to die a gruesome death, but suddenly, Theo laughed, tipping his head back to expose the beautiful line of his throat. He shook his head, brown hair flopping into his eyes, impatiently pushing it back again as he moved towards the elevator doors.

“Help me get these open,” he instructed.

A little dazed, Liam obeyed without complaint. The button wasn’t working to open the doors, so they pried their fingers into the crack between them and pulled. Liam caught a glimpse of Theo’s muscles flexing and was suddenly glad that he and Mason had started going to the gym with Scott more often (Scott pushed them. If Liam and Mason went alone, not much usually got done.). After a little bit of effort, the doors slid open, revealing the wall of the elevator shaft, reaching all the way up and down the length of the elevator itself.

“I guess we’re not climbing out,” Liam huffed.

Theo poked his head out into the minimal space between the elevator and the wall, looking up and then down before pulling himself back in.

“We’re between floors,” he announced, like that hadn’t been obvious.

“I can’t believe you didn’t call 911,” Liam complained, sitting down with his back against the wall.

Theo sent him a withering glare. “You could have charged your phone this morning,” he told him.

“Yeah, well, you could have charged yours,” Liam shot back.

They fell into a frustrated silence, Theo sinking down against the wall opposite Liam. After a while, the silence started to get awkward. The aggression left, as well as the urgency to do anything about their predicament: there was nothing they _could_ do. But Liam was stubborn and, having decided in the heat of his anger and frustration not to be the first to speak, he suffered through the awkwardness. Theo seemed to have had a similar thought, because the silence extended longer and longer until it wasn’t even uncomfortable anymore.

Liam found his head jerking up, he had no idea how much later. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, hoping he hadn’t drooled as much as Mason always said he did, and looked over at Theo, who’s head was tipped back against the wall, eyes closed. Now that he wouldn’t have to face biting comments or intense glares, Liam allowed himself to look. It wasn’t as if there was anything else to do.

Theo looked much kinder in sleep, more innocent, almost boyish. His arms were folded loosely across his chest, elbows resting on his knees. It didn’t look terribly comfortable in the jeans he was wearing, but Liam was a little envious of the soft-looking hoodie. He sighed and rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt up to his elbows, undoing another button at his collar.

Theo still didn’t move. Liam would be concerned that he had died except for how his chest rose and fell slightly with his soft breath. It was ridiculous, really. Liam wanted to burrow his face into the soft material of the sweatshirt, to run his fingers through Theo’s thick, smooth hair, to press their lips together and – and this was getting out of hand. They had just met…well, sort of…and Liam was pretty sure he had done an amazing job of annoying the shit out of him already. He turned his eyes away to look at anything except Theo.

There weren’t a lot of choices. The walls of the elevator were fake wood and stainless steel, the ceiling the same. A metal hand rail wrapped around the perimeter, reaching just over his head where he sat. A few fliers were taped to the wall, but he had read them all a thousand times before. He was just starting to wonder if he could translate any of them into Spanish (unlikely, since he knew at most ten words of it), when his stomach rumbled loudly. He clapped a hand to it instinctively.

“You hungry or something?” Theo asked from across the elevator. The teasing tone was tempered by a softness leftover from sleep.

Liam jumped, not having realized that he was awake. He ignored Theo’s comment, in favor of asking what time it was.

“What, you didn’t bring a watch either?” he asked.

“I don’t wear watches,” Liam grumbled.

Theo sighed heavily. “Do you at least have food in that stupid backpack of yours?”

“Uh…” Liam pulled it towards him and looked inside. There wasn’t much. “I have…two pieces of gum…a smushed granola bar…and a bag of gummy worms.”

“Oh my god,” Theo groaned, sticking out a hand and wiggling his fingers as if Liam would just _give_ him basically all the food he had. “How many gummy worms is a bag of gummy worms?”

“It’s a whole bag,” Liam said, offended, as he pulled the bag out and waved it around so that Theo could see.

Theo dove across the elevator and grabbed the bag, making the carriage shake a little.

“Don’t do that!” Liam gasped, trying his hardest not to clutch at his chest like some lady in an old-fashioned movie. “And I never said you could have any!” He lunged across the elevator, feeling his heart race as it shook once again.

“Can we share, at least?” Theo asked, holding the bag out of his reach, which was just plain rude.

Liam was still trying to decide if he was above climbing over Theo’s lap in pursuit of food, when the elevator dropped what felt like a yard, but was probably less than half an inch. Theo dropped the bag of gummy worms onto the floor, eyes going wide, and Liam’s hands automatically clutched at the grey hoodie that he was wearing. It was just as soft as it looked.

“We’re going to die,” Liam whispered.

Theo didn’t move. It felt like another hour before either of them relaxed.

“What just happened?” Liam asked, forcing his fingers to release the soft fabric, but not moving much more than that, even if it meant being pressed up against Theo. Not that he minded, actually, but Theo probably did.

“I don’t know,” Theo admitted. After another few minutes, he reached for the gummy worms by his feet. “You want to eat?” he asked, as Liam, seeing that the elevator hadn’t moved again yet, repositioned himself so that his back was to the wall, legs crossed under him, shoulder lightly brushing against Theo’s.

“Yeah, sure,” Liam agreed.

Theo tore the bag open and offered it to Liam first. “So, what’s your name?” he asked.

Liam stared at him, pausing in the midst of beheading a violently green worm, realizing that he had never actually introduced himself. “Oh. Uh, I’m Liam. Liam Dunbar,” he stuck out his hand for Theo to shake, “You said your name’s Theo, right?”

“Yeah,” Theo nodded, “Theo Raeken. I live on the fifth floor. You?”

“Fourth,” Liam replied, digging his hand into the bag for another worm, “You live with your girlfriend?’

Theo smirked. “Are you asking if I’m single?”

Liam felt himself blush. “No,” he said too quickly.

“I live alone,” Theo assured him, “I just moved in about a week ago.”

Which would explain why Liam hadn’t seen him around much. “Well this is a great first impression, isn’t it?” Liam snorted.

“You’re doing okay,” Theo assured him, side-eyeing him _hard_. Liam wasn’t entirely sure what that meant.

“I was talking about the elevator,” he said flatly.

“Right,” Theo said, still smirking.

“How long do you think it will take them to get here?” Liam asked after another minute or so of silence.

“It’s Greenberg,” Theo reminded him, “We’ll probably be here for at least three more hours.”

Liam laughed and bit into another gummy worm. “Guess I’m not making it to work today.”

“Me neither,” Theo grimaced, “But at least I’m my own boss.”

“What do you do?” Liam asked curiously.

“I own a tattoo parlor,” Theo said, glancing at Liam to see how he would react.

“That’s so awesome!” Liam gushed, unable to help himself, “I’ve been thinking about getting a tattoo for years!”

“Why didn’t you?” Theo wondered.

Liam shrugged. “I guess I’m too easily swayed by other people. They tell me it’s a bad idea and then I think maybe I shouldn’t go through with it.”

“Well, I would tell you to just screw them and do what you want, but then you would be being swayed by my advice,” he said, “Do you have a pen?’

“Yeah, why?” Liam said, hastily digging one out of his bag.

“I want to draw on you,” Theo said simply, accepting the pen and uncapping it as he took Liam’s hand, pulling it towards him for access to his forearm. “Is that okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Liam breathed, “Totally.” He should not be as turned on by this as he was, but his body didn’t seem to agree. He shifted his position with the pretense of giving Theo better access to his arm.

For the next hour or maybe ten minutes, it was hard to be sure, Theo drew on Liam’s arm, slowly creating a sleeve of a mixture of beautiful designs and embarrassing doodles, and Liam asked him questions about his job, receiving in exchange, some pretty great anecdotes about the stranger customers that Theo had had.

“Tweety bird?” Liam asked in disgust, trying not to shake too much with laughter as Theo put the finishing touches on an eerily anatomically correct dick in the perfect place for Liam to be able to cover it with his sleeve when he needed to.

“Right on the ass-cheek,” Theo agreed, chuckling, “Look, sometimes I’ve learned it’s just better not to ask questions.”

“And they say _the customer is always right_ ,” Liam snorted.

Theo laughed and released Liam’s arm, capping the pen proudly. “There you go,” he announced, “Now you have a partial sleeve.”

Liam examined this latest addition with interest. “That’s disturbing,” he informed Theo, “I hate that you drew hair on it.”

“Some people have hairy balls,” Theo shrugged.

“Do you have tattoos?” Liam asked, desperately trying to change the subject. He could not survive talking about dicks with Theo right now.

“None that you can see right now,” he smirked, “If you stripped me down, though, you’d see a few.”

Liam’s face burned. It was just this side of flirting, pretty much every time Theo opened his mouth, but Liam wasn’t really sure what to do with it.

“So,” Theo continued, as if none of the previous conversation had just happened, “What’s the punishment for missing an entire day of work by accident?”

“You get to spend five hours in an elevator with Theo Raeken,” Liam teased.

Theo snorted in laughter. “Funny,” he said dryly.

“What now?” Liam asked, “I mean, they have to get here soon, right?”

Theo shrugged. “Want to play a game?”

“I guess?” Liam said, doubtfully. Form the look on Theo’s face, he had a feeling there was a catch.

“I’m thinking of a number between 1 and 1000…”

Liam stared at him. “Are you kidding me? That’s impossible.”

“It’s not,” Theo said easily, grabbing Liam’s sleeve as if he was going to run away. “You can guess as many times as you want. I’ll even tell you if it’s bigger or smaller.”

“That doesn’t sound fun,” Liam grumbled.

“I’m thinking of a number between 1 and 1000,” Theo repeated.

Liam groaned loudly and Theo laughed.

“Nine,” Liam guessed randomly.

“Higher,” Theo grinned.

It took a stupidly long time for Liam to guess Theo’s number, and he was thoroughly disgruntled when he finally did. “I still don’t get how that’s supposed to be fun,” he complained.

Theo turned eagerly to face him. “Here, you try,” he said.

Liam thought for a second, turning to face Theo. “Okay…I’m thinking of a number between 1 and 1000.”

“500,” Theo said immediately.

Liam squinted at him. “Why would I pick five hundred even?”

“Just tell me higher or lower,” Theo rolled his eyes, scooting forwards a little so their knees were touching.

“Lower.”

“250.”

“Are you serious?” Liam asked, finding himself smiling.

“I have a strategy, trust me.”

“Lower.”

“125.”

“Lower.”

“Jesus, Liam. 63.”

“Lower.”

“32.”

“Higher.”

Theo was staring Liam in the eyes so intensely that he almost missed when he said his number. “Low- wait, yeah! That was fast.”

“Start from the middle and go by halves,” Theo said easily, “It’s not wizardry.”

“Hey, do you think wizards are real?” Liam asked, absently. It was amazing how quickly they had gotten on easy terms with each other. Or maybe it hadn’t been quickly. It was hard to tell.

“No?” Theo looked at him like he was crazy.

“Okay, just wondering,” Liam shrugged easily. He let a few seconds pass. “What about werewolves?”

“Liam!”

Liam grinned brightly, but it quickly disappeared when the elevator dropped again, this time significantly more than an inch. He fell forwards into Theo, who collapsed backwards under him, which probably made the elevator shake even more, but it was hard to tell with all the commotion.

“What just happened?” Liam whispered when everything finally stopped moving.

“I think we might be almost to the second floor now,” Theo said uncertainly, his breath whispering across Liam’s cheek.

“Maybe we should check the elevator shaft again,” Liam suggested breathlessly, “We might be able to reach some doors now

Their bodies were flush together, Liam still laying on top of Theo, with Theo’s arms still wrapped protectively around him.

“Good idea,” Theo said.

Neither of them moved.

“Liam?” Theo asked.

“Yeah?” Liam couldn’t take his eyes off of him so he saw the change. He knew it was coming and had all the time in the world to back away, but he nodded his head minutely in acceptance, and suddenly Theo’s lips were pressing against his own, soft and plush, moving gently but with intent. Liam’s eyelids slid closed and he kissed him back.

His hands found their way up into Theo’s hair, and Theo’s worked their way up and down his back, tongue darting out to lick at his lips and then into his mouth. This time, it only felt like seconds before the elevator dinged and they pulled apart in surprise.

“Was that – “Theo asked, craning his head to look up at the numbers over the door, his arms still firm around Liam.

Liam pushed himself up, disentangling himself from Theo’s arms as he came to straddle his lap. “It says we’re on the second floor now,” he realized, “I didn’t think we moved.”

“I thought I might have felt something while we were kissing,” Theo blushed, pushing himself up to sitting, one arm propped behind him while the other hand rubbed at the back of his neck.

Liam felt himself blush too and turned his attention to where the open interior doors of the elevator revealed the inside of another set of stainless steel doors.

“Theo!” he shouted, swatting at Theo’s shoulder, “Look!”

Theo glanced over his shoulder at the doors behind him and frowned slightly. Liam got it. They had just been starting to really have fun, and now…what would things be like when they got out of the elevator? He climbed off of Theo’s lap to a very disappointed look from the other boy.

“I guess we should try to open them,” he said, a little unenthusiastically.

“I guess,” Theo agreed, sitting up fully now that Liam had vacated his lap.

Before they could begin to examine the doors, though, they slid open, and an anxious-looking Greenberg, as well as a range of uniforms – fire department, sheriff’s department, EMTs – stood before him.

Liam felt suddenly self-conscious, like he looked thoroughly debauched, even if a glance into the stainless steel told him otherwise. He felt himself blush and busied himself with packing the empty bag of gummy worms and discarded pen back into his backpack.

“Might want to get that thing fixed,” Theo told Greenberg as he slid passed him, out of the elevator. Liam hurried behind.

Various people cross-examined them, making sure they were okay and obnoxiously keeping them too distracted to talk to each other.

“Liam,” Theo slid up to his side the second that they were both free, “How would you feel about getting dinner? With me?”

A glance at the sky outside told him that it was already heading towards that time of day, but Liam couldn’t bring himself to care. He grinned. “Like a date?” he asked Theo.

“Like a date,” Theo grinned back.

“As long as we take the stairs when we get back, I’m game,” Liam agreed, making Theo laugh.

Now that he came to think about it, though, those five hours in an elevator hadn’t been the worst of his life. In fact, they were pretty damn good.


End file.
